I've been openly critical of banks and financial institutions here on Mental Shavings.

What's amazed me most: How few have even tried to change the way they speak to consumers in their attempts to win back lost trust.

Two years ago, I was especially hard on Prudential for its corny and cliché-ridden "Sunrise" ad. That's why this new ad (above) from the company surprised me so much—in the best of ways.

Rather than dishing out more trite images of retirement—cue the white-haired couple walking on the beach—Prudential cleverly asks, "How old is the oldest person you've known?" Those blue dots represent ages—most of which are 90 or older.

The point: Retirement years are much longer than you think. "How do you make sure you have the money you need to enjoy all of these years?"

If financial institutions want to change how we feel about them, they need to need to start communicating with us differently, too. This refreshingly intelligent Prudential ad gives me hope that they're finally beginning to learn how.